Brandon Staglin has a wife, a job and a close relationship with his family. And he is living with schizophrenia.

It has been a rocky road from the harrowing days in the summer of 1990 when Staglin, a National Merit scholar home from his freshman year at Dartmouth, was found wandering the streets of his hometown of Lafayette. The right side of his brain felt as though it had slipped away, and he held his hand over his right eye to stop a new personality from coming in.

Staglin, 40, is now the communications director of his family's Rutherford-based International Mental Health Research Organization, which raises money for research and treatment, and brings awareness to end the stigma associated with diseases of the mind, which afflict an estimated 1 in 6 adults. The organization has raised more than $135 million in direct and matching funds since its founding in 1995, and will hold its 18th annual fundraiser in Napa on Saturday.

Sitting in the family's Rutherford home with his parents, Garen and Shari Staglin, and sister Shannon, Brandon said, "I've learned a lot, and I'm still learning a lot. I accept that I have this disease and that I will always have it."

Garen said, "We try to give advice to families that there won't be one pill or one thing that works. It takes a long time to figure it out. But Brandon is an example of how the right combinations of medication can lead to a normal life."

Shari looked at her son and smiled. "It was a great dream that he would have a wonderful life like this," she said.

Started as concert

The international organization started as a small concert, the Music Festival for Mental Health, held on the grounds of the family's Staglin Winery. In 2008, it became the International Mental Health Research Organization, raising money for treatment and research across the globe. A year later, the Staglins partnered with the actress Glenn Close - whose sister, Jessie, has bipolar disorder - to lessen the stigma and create national public service announcements, including one directed by Ron Howard, with a song by John Mayer.

And, most recently, Garen worked with former Rep. Patrick Kennedy to co-chair the launch of the One Mind for Research Campaign, which brings together international neuroscience groups with the goal of significantly reducing the incidence of brain diseases within 10 years.

"We are at the best place we have ever been in terms of the science," Garen said. "The genome advances have given us the pathology of these illnesses."

Brandon noted, "The science is looking at what is causing the neurons not to grow right. We can now look at healthy brains and sick brains and see which part of the brain should be targeted for medication."

The Staglins also have helped set up centers across the country targeted at early identification of those with mental illness, to provide intervention before the condition worsens or a psychotic break occurs.

"Mental and emotional problems can be like physical problems," Garen explained. "The sooner they receive treatment, the better."

Drug cocktail

Brandon, who married three years ago, says that modifications to his medications have made a key difference in his personal relationships. His current cocktail includes Abilify, an antipsychotic, taken when he wakes up; lorazepam, to control anxiety, taken four times a day; and risperidone, an antipsychotic drug, and paroxetine, an antianxiety drug, taken at bedtime.

"I have taken this combination of medications since 2005, and it works really well for me," Brandon said, crediting the drug Abilify with giving him a gift that was long missing - empathy.

"My empathy is building," he said. "I can feel for people better than ever before. This is critical to me in my marriage, in relationships, and in going out and speaking out against the stigma. The drug gave me more emotional range than I've had."

Shannon looked at her brother with pride. "I think before, you were not able to express yourself emotionally and really connect. Switching medications made a difference."

She added, "It made me really happy to see you interact this way. Now you are one of the kindest people out there."

Brandon, touched by the words, admitted, "I never thought a decade ago that I would be married, working at a job and having a quasi-family - we have a dog. I'm lucky to have gotten to a place in my life where I'm happy."

The Staglins are more than aware that stories like theirs are not common enough. That is why their mission is just getting started.

Shari said, "We talk about it openly. Mental illness is another chronic illness, like asthma or diabetes. It's a disease that requires research and treatment. When we started this 19 years ago, nobody wanted to participate, and most of our donors requested anonymity, because they were 'protecting' someone."